Smoked Fish and Potato Soup With Chorizo

Name: Smoked Fish and Potato Soup With Chorizo
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 large onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups); Salt and pepper; 6 ounces chorizo, diced; 1 pound yellow-fleshed potatoes, peeled and cut in 1-inch cubes; 1 bay leaf; 6 cups chicken broth or water; 2 medium leeks, white and tender green parts, diced (about 2 cups); 1 pound smoked sablefish or smoked mackerel, in 1-inch chunks; 8 ounces piquillo peppers from a jar, cut in 1/2-inch strips; 1 cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems; Lime wedges, for serving

By David Tanis

Total Time: 1 hour
Rating: 5(229)
Comments: Read comments

This is a soup that’s especially nice for cold, wet days. It’s like a chowder, but the inspiration is Iberian, modeled after Portuguese or Spanish potato soups enriched with salt cod. Smoked sablefish gives the broth a marvelous flavor, but smoked whitefish, cod, haddock, sturgeon or even smoked trout could be used.

Featured in: Thinking Chowder? Try an Iberian-Inspired Soup

or to save this recipe.
Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone
As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.
Subscribe
Share
Print Options
Include recipe photo

Ingredients

Yield:6 servings

2tablespoons olive oil
1large onion, diced (about 1½ cups)
Salt and pepper
6ounces chorizo, diced
1pound yellow-fleshed potatoes, peeled and cut in 1-inch cubes
1bay leaf
6cups chicken broth or water
2medium leeks, white and tender green parts, diced (about 2 cups)
1pound smoked sablefish or smoked mackerel, in 1-inch chunks
8ounces piquillo peppers from a jar, cut in ½-inch strips
1cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems
Lime wedges, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Preparation

Step 1
Put olive oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.
Step 2
Add chorizo and potatoes and stir to coat, then cook for 5 minutes, stirring. Add bay leaf and broth and bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer. When potatoes are nearly tender, about 10 minutes, add leeks and cook for 5 minutes more. Taste broth and add salt as necessary.
Step 3
Add smoked sable and piquillo peppers and simmer for 10 minutes, then turn off heat to let flavors mingle.
Step 4
Reheat soup to serve, adding chopped cilantro at the last minute. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing into bowls at the table.

Tip

Since the soup is made from smoked fish, it will keep for several days, refrigerated, and actually improves in flavor upon reheating.

Ratings

5 out of 5

229 user ratings

Have you cooked this?

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Comments

David Tanis7 years ago

Not all fish soups ingredients are inexpensive (think bouillabaisse). But you could substitute smoked trout, smoked whitefish or smoked haddock. Or you could use fresh cod or haddock and use a little smoked paprika (pimentón de la Vera) in the broth. Or add some smoked mussels for flavor.

Lisa7 years ago

I made this with bacon and lots of smoked paprika instead of chorizo, and smoked mussels and fresh wahoo for the fish, because that's what I had on hand. Unbelievably delicious, especially with that squeeze of lime and fresh cilantro at the end. Fantastic recipe. Would make a good dish for company too.

Katherine7 years ago

This is a great recipe, both as written and as the base for endless variations dependent on your circumstances. No sablefish? Try smoked lake trout. No cilantro? Try parsley. No true chorizo? Try Gilbert's smoked sausage with chipotle. No leeks? Well, try some baby bok choy plus a little garlic. And on and on. The essence of the dish remains through all these changes, and that essence is a deep, rich flavor that lets the eaters leave the table feeling, rightly, that they have been well fed.

Connie Z4 months ago

What a great soup! I'm lucky enough to have a supply of black cod and a stove top smoker so this was a great recipe to find. I used up a jar of roasted red peppers from Trader Joe's and added some cherry bomb peppers that I put in the smoker with the fish. The cherry bomb peppers still have my fingers burning but the added kick in the soup was spot on.

cbgb2 years ago

This is a hidden gem of a recipe

Noah3 years ago

I think I enjoy the comments as much as the recipes at NYT Cooking. In particular, now that I've made this, I second Katherine: "This is a great recipe, both as written and as the base for endless variations dependent on your circumstances." Follow the recipe as well as you can, at least once, then, like a jazz musician, riff on it and enjoy.

Private comments are only visible to you.